Acute Guillain-Barré syndrome: A case report in pediatrics

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a complicated degenerative neurological disorder which can be either acute or chronic in nature. Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acquired condition and is characterized by progressive, symmetrical, proximal and distal tingling and weakness. Muscle stretch reflexes are decreased to absent and loss of sensation is common. A 4-year female child with no significant past medical history who presented with progressive weakness involving both upper and lower limbs over 48 to 72 h and complaints of tachypnea and hypotonia involving all group of muscles was admitted in Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital, Tirupati. In the present report, the main clinical aspects and features of Guillain-Barré syndrome along with the multidisciplinary approach to the acute phase combining supportive and high dose of immunoglobulin therapy were practiced. Patient should have follow-up within 2 weeks after the acute syndrome to evaluate for relapse, at which point repeat intravenous immunoglobulin. Thereafter, follow-up is necessary for every 4–6 weeks for 6 months, then 6 months for 1 year and then yearly.

Keywords

• Areflexia
• Hypotaxia
• Hypotonia
• Immunoglobulins
• Neuropathy
• Sensory loss
• Tachypnea